Lesson Learned
by tha-wanderer
Summary: AU. General Iroh travels down south to the Water Tribe to assist Korra with her spirituality. Korroh
1. Muladhara

_a/n:_ AU-ish—For some inexplicable reason, General Iroh, having studied with the Fire Sages (it's _my_ headcanon, you just gotta deal with it) and other spiritual moguls, is extremely well versed in the spiritual and thus qualified to mentor Korra.

Then, (because I can't stand forgetting about them although they don't make an appearance yet) the Fire Ferrets find a keeper waterbender in Hasook (yeah, he finally stepped his game up), and Asami still runs into Mako on her satocycle.

The Equalist movement is nowhere near as strong as it is on the show, so Bolin isn't kidnapped. Also, Tahno isn't a cheat.

Finally, Iroh has a true, honest-to-_Gawd_, grown-and-sexy man voice. However, if Dante Basco's voice is what tickles your fancy, then by all means, the change is optional.

I love Korra, but I don't own her…

_Lesson Learned_

**Muladhara**

Flames. They dissipate and grow at her command. She's being attacked from three angles, but she manipulates the flames favorably with ease. Fire seems to be her favored element, although it is her third to be mastered.

If Katara had witnessed something like this years ago, she would not have known what to think. A girl, so obviously from the Water Tribe, firebending as though fire _was_ her element?

But now she knows what to think. Strength. Power. Confidence. This girl, Korra, definitely has these things.

"She's strong," she says proudly.

"She lacks restraint," counters the White Lotus leader. Katara narrows her eyes.

_This is great bending, and you _know _it. _

However, Korra—Katara must admit—_does_ have her weaknesses. Her connection with the spirit world has been found lacking—i.e., nonexistent—and she needs help. Luckily for her, Katara has the perfect solution to that.

The battle ends.

"Woohoo!" Korra pumps her fists in the air victoriously. She notices that her observers are not, in her opinion, appropriately enthused.

"Hey, why all the doom and gloom, people? We should be celebrating! Three elements down, one to go!"

Katara smiles.

Korra's firebending master has a grating, gravelly voice. "You're getting ahead of yourself _as usual_, Korra. We haven't decided if you passed your firebending test yet."

Katara frowns. Who picked these people to be _teachers_? Of _course _she passed.

"Ever since you were a little girl, you've excelled at the physical side of bending, but completely _ignored_ the spiritual side." The White Lotus leader continues to berate her. "The Avatar must master both."

Well, Katara has to agree with the last statement. That _had_ been her motivation for having her old friend Zuko's grandson come from the Fire Nation to the Southern Water Tribe. It's been decided that he is to be her mentor.

She hasn't informed the other White Lotus members of this decision yet; but, she's a faithful believer in the old adage that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

…

"_What_?"

"We've decided that you aren't ready yet. You need to immerse yourself in spirituality before you can—"

"Oh, no, I heard you. I just can't _fathom _this. _Why_ are you doing this? Why am I not _allowed _to learn airbending?" Korra stands and slams her hands against the table. "And the longer you keep me cooped up in this compound, the longer it will be before I can become a realized avatar and do my job _as _the avatar!"

Korra's voice is loud, hard, and strong. She gives the White Lotus leader no chance to answer. She stomps as she leaves the sitting room, throws on her parka, and marches into the icy assault of the tundra.

Naga already waits for her outside. They briefly cruise around within the confines of the White Lotus compound before Korra guides the polar bear-dog to the large gates that serve to isolate her from the world. She assures the sentry that she won't go far—though, in her current mood, she can't truthfully make such promises—and he, with no small amount of trepidation, opens the gates for her.

"Faster, girl."

As she rides, she ponders. Why is it anyway, that she can't seem to access the realm of spirits? What is wrong with her?

_Damn it all, _she thinks. _I wish I could ask Aang or Roku for help, but _that's _obviously not happening in the immediate future. _

Naga stops short near a sharp cliff and whines reproachfully at Korra, whose musings have usurped her mind.

"Sorry girl," she finally murmurs. "I've gone a little spacey." She guides Naga to a nearby nook. Then she sits cross-legged in the snow and thinks some more. She tries, fruitlessly, to meditate. Of course, she knows little to nothing about meditation, but she makes her attempt. She thinks about the spirits. She thinks of all of the books she has read and the stories that her parents and Katara have told her. In particular, for reasons she knows not, her mind dwells on Koh, the face stealer. He had taken the face—and life—of a past life's lover. Kuruk, her predecessor in terms of having been from a Water Tribe, lost the love of his life to a spirit.

Maybe _that's _why she seems…locked out of the spirit world, she supposes, because on an unconscious level, she _refuses _to go, in a sort of post-traumatic stress reaction. She shakes her head. That can't do, because Aang ventured into the spirit world _many _times.

Maybe Kuruk and she shared some additional connection due to their mutual Water Tribe heritage, and that was the root of it all.

_Oh, yes, Korra. That's _highly _likely. Stop searching for excuses._

She groans in frustration and palms her forehead.

…

A few days later, her nose is red because she spent a little too much time out in the harsh tundra entertaining cracked theories about her spiritual disinclination. Naga naps right outside of the building near a window. Korra sits slouched, wrapped in a downy blanket, in front of a crackling fire. She stares directly into the flames as she nurses Katara's seal jerky soup. Her blue eyes are alight as they reflect the dancing orange and yellow hues.

"That's bad for your eyes, you know."

Korra nearly spills her soup when she jumps at this unknown voice. She sharply turns left and sees that a tall man with amber eyes and cropped black hair wearing a United Forces uniform has entered the sitting room.

"And you are…?" she prompts.

He quirks an eyebrow before curtly bowing. "Forgive me for not having already introduced myself, Avatar Korra. I am General Iroh of the United Forces."

"Oh," The avatar abandons her seal jerky soup and tries to hop to her feet, but she's a bit wobbly and the long blanket she wears wrapped around her shoulders trips her up before she finally manages an upright position on her feet. _Damn sickness, _she mentally laments. She regards the general, and purses her lips. "I would shake your hand," she starts, before burying her face in her elbow and sneezing, "but—I'm sure you can see—I'm a little ill at the moment."

The general's eyes crinkle in mirth. "Duly noted."

Korra responds with a thin smile before she takes to shuffling about in the sitting room. Her back to him, she starts to prepare tea—Echinacea—but then stops because she's sick and germy. She turns back and forth, her gaze shifting to him and then the teapot, twirling two cups around in her hands. After a few moments of absent yet fretful fidgeting, she finally turns to face him once more. "Um," she mumbles, "Are you here to see Master Katara?"

"I've already spoken with her. She told me you'd be here. You know, you should sit, you look a bit peaked." He walks to where she is and delicately wrests the cups from her hands and prods her into a chair. "I'll make the tea."

She sits demurely and pulls her lips into a thin line while she watches him move around to make tea. Finally, he takes a seat across the table from her and passes her a cup. "So, eh, what was that about Master Katara?" she probes before taking a small sip.

"Well," he begins, "she sent for me. She and my grandfather are very good friends, you see. Anyway, she tells me that the White Lotus elders have decided not to pass you on your firebending—"

"For ridiculous reasons! They wo—"

The general raises his hand. She frowns and raises a single eyebrow at him, giving him her best 'oh-no-you-_didn't_' face but lets him speak. "As I was saying, she tells me that the elders won't pass you. She also tells me that you need help accessing the spiritual side of bending."

She pokes out her lower lip in her characteristic pout. "Yeah, that's it in a nutshell. But spirituality just doesn't _come_ to me; what am I supposed to do about that? Maybe, I don't even need it."

"You need spirituality to master the avatar state and become a fully realized avatar," he tells her, gently but sternly. "It would not do to ignore that."

She scowls. "Yes, yes. This is the millionth time I've heard this. I get it enough from every single one of my mentors; I really don't need it from a stranger. Now, unless you have a solution, I would appreciate it if you didn't reprimand me for something I _already feel horrible about_."

She all but slams her tea on the table before she gets on her feet. She makes to walk out of the door but a coughing fit takes her and leaves her leaning on the door for support. The general quickly starts after her and holds her shoulders.

"You're already sick and you're trying to go _outside_?" he asks incredulously. He puts the back of his hand to her forehead. "Agni, you're warm." He makes her sit down again.

Korra—suddenly feeling twice as tired as before—slumps on the table, supporting her face with her fists and scowling at him for daring to assist her.

He returns to his seat across from her. "You should drink your tea. Echinacea is good for the immune system." Korra rolls her eyes. She would have drunk it anyway—Echinacea tea is one of her favorites. He presses on. "Well, now that you're a captive audience—" she harrumphs "—perhaps you'll listen to what I have to say."

"Shoot away, General. Probably won't be anything I've not heard before," She bites out with rasp. Although her stuffed nose dulls her words, her contempt is highly evident. "Just get to your point."

"Master Katara sent for me because I have studied and trained with the Fire Sages for years and I have the expertise to guide you spiritually. I'm here to _help _you."

"Katara thinks I'm so bad that she felt the need to ask _you _for help? I must be truly hopeless at this point," She responds spitefully as she manages to sit up in her seat.

"Don't think of it that way," says the general.

"Oh, but I _do_," She retorts, jutting out her lower lip. She grabs at a book sitting barely out of her reach at the far edge of the table. Her fingers wriggle ineffectively as they reach for the spine. The General nudges it closer to her. Glaring, she snatches it and ignores his existence as she begins to read.

Trying not to be exasperated, General Iroh looks out of the window for a few moments before speaking up. "You're very stubborn," he quietly observes.

"Haven't heard _that _before," She states flatly, her eyes trained on the pages of the book. Then she takes a long, loud, slurping drink of the tea.

The General takes a deep breath and shifts in his seat.

Korra knowingly slurps rudely again.

Ten tense minutes roll by and neither person says or does anything to acknowledge the other's presence. Korra reads and General Iroh contemplates how upset Katara—and his grandparents, for that matter—will be if he just leaves right now.

Finally, Korra sets the book on the table and sighs. "I apologize," she says quietly. General Iroh, who had been nursing his tea and gazing out of the window, peers at her. "It's just," She goes on, her eyes boring into his. "I've been having a really bad week. But I shouldn't have taken it out on you, General Iroh."

The general blinks. "I, uh. Call me 'Iroh.'" He waves his hand dismissively. "We all have our bad days…or _weeks, _as the case may be with the avatar."

"Huh," Korra gives a short chuckle. "So... _You_'re going to help me get into the spirit world."

"That is my goal, yes."

"And, uh, how do you plan to do that?"

"Well," starts Iroh, "You might have heard of chakras. I plan to use those."

"I…vaguely remember something about chakras," Korra's voice trails off with her train of thought. "When do we start? Can we start today?"

Although he is pleased by her apparent eagerness, he remembers that her forehead very nearly burned his hand earlier. "Not today. I think that we should wait until you are in better health." He says wryly.

"Well in that case, would you pour me more tea, please? Echinacea _is _good for the immune system, you know."

"Of course, Avatar Korra." He replies, a small smile teasing his face as he moves to pour.

"Just 'Korra' is fine."

…

Iroh and Korra are standing in the training grounds.

"There are seven primary chakras. The first one we will be attempting to activate is the root chakra, _Muladhara. _It's associated with earth. It deals with survival, and, well, overall _being, _and is blocked by fear."

Korra cracks her knuckles. "Right, this one should be easy. What are we going to do? Spar, perhaps?"

"That will come later," Iroh responds solemnly. "Today, we will meditate."

"Really? But what does that have to do with survival, General Iroh?" Korra asks skeptically.

"Iroh," corrects Iroh. "Raw survival is not what the Muladhara is about. We're primarily aiming for a heightened sense of self-awareness. A sense of being."

"But what about exercises about fears and survival? I could do those. Those sound _fun,_" Korra pouts.

"I promise we will do that later, but now, we need to build a strong foundation. Now, sit." Iroh lowers himself to the turf with all the majesty of a prince and gestures to the area in front of him.

"Fine," Korra sighs as she plops down. "I have only one question."

"And what's that?"

"If we were only going to meditate, why'd you take me to the _training grounds_?"

"It's sunniest here." He tries to bites back a smile, but Korra notices.

She narrows her eyes and huffs. Iroh closes his eyes. "Try to consider what it is to _be. _Strengthen your sense of self-awareness."

"You said that already," Korra complains. "What is this, a philosophy lesson?"

"Hn," replies Iroh, eyes still closed. "You _could_ think of it that way. By the way, it's easiest to meditate with closed eyes."

"My eyes _are _closed," she fibs.

"No they're not."

"_No they're not," _Korra mocks immaturely. She crosses her arms and tightly shuts her eyes, pouting.

"Better."

"How do you even _know?_"

…

"Can we stop now?" asks Korra, eyes still obediently closed.

"It hasn't been that long," replies Iroh.

"You have no sense of time. It has to have been two _hours,_" cries Korra. "General Iroh, I've awakened my awareness of self. My awareness of self has an awareness of self. I'm meta-aware of my being right now."

"Fine," says Iroh, uncrossing his legs. "Want to take a short break?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Korra snorts as she jumps up and walks—no, skips. "Tea?" she turns to Iroh, who is warily following her inside to the sitting room. He nods tersely. "I think we'll have Echinacea." She smirks. "I still feel a bit peaky, you know, and someone told me that it's good for the immune system."

Iroh sighs. Korra's fever has been gone—no trace of it at all—for a few days short of a week now. She seems to relish mocking him.

She sets the cups on the table. "So there's something that's been bothering me lately," she says.

"What's that?"

"Well, you're a general."

"Yes. That is the reason people call me 'General Iroh.'" He raises an eyebrow.

Korra ignores his subtle snide and goes on. "How does a _general_ come to be so well acclimated with the spirits?" She takes a sip of tea. "For all I know, you could be feeding me a load of pish-poshy cow-hippo manure."

"In addition to having studied with the Fire Sages for much of my life," Iroh states, "I have conferred with the Air Acolytes, as well as spiritual leaders from the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom. I can detect the presence of spirits on earth and I have been to the spirit world where I spoke with my great-great uncle Iroh and _your _predecessor, Aang."

"Well! Here's a guy who is book smart _and _street smart, folks." Korra sits up in her chair. "I guess it'll do," she adds wryly, nursing her tea.

"You guess?" Iroh deadpans.

"I guess," She nods. "Hm, I still just can't peg you as a 'spiritual guru' kind of guy. Kya, you know, Katara's daughter is spiritual and she's really cool and laid back, yeah? But, you? You're a stuffy general."

"I am not stuffy," he protests stiffly.

"Oh, but you _are_," she knocks back the rest of her tea and pours another cup.

"You've only known me for a week," he defends.

"A week and _two days,_" Korra corrects importantly, raising her index finger. "Besides, a week is more than I need to detect stuffiness. Sir, _you _are quite stuffy."

"Think what you want, Korra." Iroh knows that this is a losing battle.

"I will, General." Korra smirks. "So…what did you and your uncle talk about?"

"Tea." Iroh replies curtly. _What is this, _he thinks warily, _an interrogation?_

"Tea?" repeats Korra incredulously. "Well, you're just full of surprises, aren't you, General?"

"Iroh," he corrects, again, for what seems like the tenth time today. _She's doing this to annoy me, _he decides.

"So, what are your favorite varieties?" she asks.

"Ginseng. And jasmine is a close second," he responds.

"Ginseng and jasmine, eh?" Korra purses her lips. "I could see that. I'm a hibiscus gal, myself. I'm particular to peppermint, too."

"Are you not also particular to the Echinacea?" Iroh asks casually.

"It's _okay, _I guess."

"You've had three cups."

"You counted?"

"I'm observant. Your break is over, by the way."

…

In the outskirts of the Water Tribe, Korra is sitting next to her mother, Senna. She is reading a book about chakras that Iroh has lent her to read on this snowy day "off." Her father, Tonraq, is farther off in the distance, closer to the fringe of the sea, ice fishing.

"How is your avatar training going, sweetie?" asks Senna.

"Fine; the General of the United Forces is helping me unlock my chakras." Korra replies blandly, looking up from the book. It's been nearly two months of meditating nearly every day but there was virtually no progress to speak of.

She feels as though she's the worst avatar to date.

"General of the United Forces, hm? Is he good-looking?"

"_Mom._"

"It was only a question, dearie. So, which chakra are you currently working on?"

"The root. _Muladhara,_" she stumbles over the pronunciation.

"The Muladhara, hm? That's the very first one if I'm not mistaken," at her daughter's blank nod, Senna continues. "It's a tough one, you know. You have to look deep within your—"

There is a sickening crack in the distance, and suddenly Tonraq is no longer visible.

"He's fallen into the ice!" shouts Korra. She throws the chakra book aside in the snow and rushes to his aid.

A few minutes later, and they manage to heave him, heavy and water laden, out of the icy waters and drag him to stable ground and—

Her father's face is turning blue.

Her father's face is turning _blue. _

"Korra, get this cold water out of his clothes. Help me." Senna says urgently as she bends the water out of Tonraq's throat. Korra looks dazed. _Dad's face is _blue. "Korra! Snap out of it," her mother says sharply, giving her a shake with one hand.

"I'm sorry," she says and she quickly bends the excess water out of her father's parka, trousers, and boots. Then, she bends a small igloo around them for some semblance of insulation and protection from the intensifying snowfall.

"We've got to warm him up, honey. Can you use your firebending to restore his internal temperature?"

"I—I don't know how to do that without burning him," Korra replies helplessly. She removes her parka and places his head atop it. "I'm sorry."

"No, sweetie, it's not your fault." Senna looks outside desperately. There isn't any other shelter around for miles. Tonraq had insisted that the absolute edge of the tribe was the best place to fish. Then, she'd laughed at his silliness. Now, she curses him.

What could they do? It would take far too long for one of them to run to get help and Naga was much too far away to call, back at the compound, but they couldn't just stay there, useless. And the snow was picking up by the minute.

"I'm going to go find a firebending White Lotus sentry. There _must_ be one nearby," says Senna, but her words fall upon deaf ears.

_General Iroh would know how to deal with this, _Korra thinks despairingly. She conjures a smallish flame and hovers it about over her father's face and torso, hoping that the radiation would heat him up.

The world is a blur for a while. She moves the flame around Tonraq, desperately, never too close to burn his skin but never quite close _enough _to do much help either, and she is utterly terrified that this may be the last day of her father's life. Korra begins to cry, as she never has before in her life.

_How can I even _be_ the avatar if I can't help _one _person?_

She places her head over her father's chest. A pulse is still there, but it's fairly weak.

_I really _am _the worst avatar…_

…

General Iroh has decided to take a stroll near the sea. He doesn't see snow very often as a resident of the Fire Nation. He wishes he had worn an extra parka, though, because the cold is absolutely biting. Shrugging, he blows warm air on his hands and rubs them together, reveling in the small mercy.

_Hm, _he notices a small, strange structure made of ice pop up on the horizon. _Is that supposed to be an igloo?_

His foot hits something buried in the snow and he stoops down to examine it. It's his _book._ The pages are swelling from the moisture in the snow. He frowns as he picks it up. Over the course of two months he's learned Korra can be rude and inconsiderate—usually playfully so and specifically to grate on his nerves—but never _this _rude and inconsiderate. He squints at the igloo thing. _She's probably in there, but why? _

He jogs—which is a bit difficult, as he is still ill acquainted with his new heavy, furry boots—over to the ice structure and ducks his head into the oblique opening. "Korra, are you in he—"

She's in there.

And she is shivering because she's not wearing a parka and there are tears making rivers down her face and she is grabbing at a man's parka. "Why—won't—you—wake—up?"

"Korra." He says loudly enough to get her attention. She peers up at him through her tears.

"Please help him," she pleads, as he is already crawling into the cramped space. "Daddy…He fell into the ice…" Iroh looks upon the man's face. He is deathly pale.

_Hypothermia_.

Quickly, Iroh inhales largely and focuses his heat. He places his hands on the man's torso and gradually manages, with several deep breaths, to restore his body temperature back to normal.

He turns to Korra and scoots back to lean against the misshapen wall.

"It might be a few minutes before he wakes up, but his pulse is stronger and he's breathing regularly now. I assume you've already bended all of the water out of his clo—"

Without warning he finds his arms full of Korra as she latches on to him. Her tears dampen his shoulder and, although he is frozen in pure shock, Iroh manages the simple gesture of patting her back. "Thank you so much, Iroh," she whispers. After a few moments, he gathers his wits about him and processes that of all people this is _Korra _attached to him.

"Is this…supposed to be an embrace, Korra?" he remarks dryly. Korra punches him—softly—in the shoulder and gives a watery laugh muffled by his red wool parka.

"Shut up, Iroh," she mumbles. "You're ruining the moment."

"Ruining the moment's what I do," he replies blithely. "I'm a stuffy old general."

He is holding her as she recovers from what must be the biggest shock of her life yet when he realizes that she's shaking from chills. "Agni," he murmurs, sitting up. "You're freezing." He runs his hands up and down her bare arms. "Why aren't you wear—oh," he realizes that she probably took off her parka in an effort to warm up her father. He continues channeling heat to her as her tears slowly dry and disappear.

"Ack—Iroh, your hands are hot." Korra shrugs away and Iroh gently tightens his grasp on her.

"That's because _you_ are practically an icicle. You're going to end up with another fever if you don't let me warm you up."

"What's that, warm who up?" groans Tonraq.

"Dad!" Korra practically leaps out of Iroh's arms as she swarms her father. "Are you okay?"

The tall man slowly sits up a bit, resting on the backs of his elbows. "Yes, I feel fine, if not a bit nippy. Why…why…_wouldn't _I be okay? And why are we in such an ugly little igloo?"

"Tonraq! You're all right!" Tonraq nearly jumps to stand when he hears his wife's voice, but then remembers the igloo's low roof. "Senna?" he asks. "…What happened?"

Korra decides that it's fine to bend her—evidently hideous—igloo away. Her mother is standing with two of the older White Lotus guards and Katara and Naga, all five of them looking quite relieved as they explain to Tonraq that he'd fallen through the ice. Naga even reaches down and nuzzles Tonraq's face with her snout, to everyone's amusement. They won't all fit on Naga, so it's agreed that Katara, Senna, and Tonraq will ride while everyone else walks.

"So, I'm just going to assume that the fish I caught is gone," Tonraq bemoans.

Senna digs up Korra's parka and banishes the snow from it. Korra gratefully shrugs it on.

She and Iroh bring up the rear.

"Oh! Iroh, your book," says Korra, eyes widening. "It's probably buried six feet under by now..."

"Actually," he replies, grinning, "I've got it right here." He pulls from his pocket a mass of moist paper and leather. He eyes it distastefully for a moment before he shrugs and replaces it in his pocket.

"I promise I'll fix it," says Korra.

"A kind sentiment, Korra, but I highly doubt that even the avatar could repair that…monstrosity."

...

That night, Korra walks out to the training grounds and thinks.

In the library she'd read about the method that Iroh had used to revive her father. _Heat control. _She really needs to learn this skill, she decides. She takes in a deep breath the way she'd seen him and concentrates all of her power into her hands. Huge, bright streams of fire come from her hands.

"Um, that's not exactly what I wanted," she mumbles. So she tries again. And again. And again_._

"Korra? _What_ are you doing?"

"Huh?" she swiftly turns to face Iroh. _Oh, of course. _"I—Eh. Hello, Iroh. Lovely night, isn't it?"

Iroh frowns. "Korra, it's nearly three in the morning," he walks closer to her, concern evident in his features. "Are you all right?" Korra looks down and says nothing for a minute.

"…No."

"Do you want…to talk?"

"Yes," Korra says plaintively.

"Right then," responds Iroh. "We'll go have tea, then."

…

"Chamomile?" Korra takes a sip and quirks a brow.

"Chamomile," Iroh nods. "I figured tonight was a chamomile kind of night."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Korra sighs.

"Indubitably," he replies, drinking. His amber eyes meet her blue ones over the rim of his cup. "Going to talk?"

Korra lowers her eyes. Iroh frowns. "Heat control. That—that's you used to save my dad, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Iroh replies evenly. "Why—Ah. I believe I know where this is headed. Memo to Self: Teach Korra Heat Control."

"It's what I was trying to do when you caught me on the grounds. All I could do was bend these huge flames."

"Yes, I know. They woke me up."

"Oh, wow. This has to be the fifth time this month I've woken you—"

"It's fine. So, you were saying about your attempt at heat control?"

"Um, well, I tried. Iroh, if you hadn't been there…my father would have died. And that terrifies me. Fire is my best element. Why is it that I can't—"

Iroh inclines his head, "You _can, _you just haven't yet."

"Well, I seem unable to do it. Like airbending," Korra winces. "The elders are right. I lack restraint, or whatever quality it is I need to become a proper avatar."

"It's not restraint that you lack, Korra…it's focus. You're not used to focusing your attentions because so much thus far has come easily to you. This sort of thing happens with prodigies." Iroh states clinically.

Korra's mouth twitches. "Iroh, I'm no prodigy. _Aang _was a prodigy."

Iroh shoots her a wry smirk. "Korra. You were able to bend three elements—quite effectively, I'm told—when you were _four._ When Aang was twelve, he still only knew one. Most avatars do not learn that they _are_ avatars until they're around your age. But you've known who you are since you were a toddler. You're a _prodigy._"

Korra blinks, "I—I never really thought of that," she says. Suddenly, her blue eyes brighten. "Iroh, let's spar."

Iroh peers at her strangely. "Now?"

"Yes."

"But—"

"General Iroh, I have a _really_ good feeling about this," Korra insists. Iroh sighs and downs the rest of his tea. She has a look in her eye and he knows he won't be able to change her mind.

…

"Are you going easy on me, General?" Korra shouts as she sends a barrage of flames his way.

"Never," grunts Iroh as he blocks the attack. He kicks up a stream of fire to her. _It's just that it's almost four in the morning._ Truthfully, he isn't feeling very tired. Korra's sudden enthusiasm has proven to be quite infectious and he can feel the adrenaline surging through his veins.

Korra disperses his assault and retaliates with a _very_ strong fire punch that Iroh only just manages to duck. Unexpectedly, Korra pops up only a foot away from him, and they are directly blocking and diverting each other's attacks with close kicks and jabs.

Both of them are sweaty and running out of breath. "Getting tired, Avatar?"

"You wish!" she cries as she jumps and kicks, forcing him backwards even as he blocks the strike.

She raises her fists, preparing for a double jab—but Iroh catches her hands with his, rendering them useless.

"What now?" he taunts. She smirks enigmatically before twirling her entire body in such a way that Iroh _has _to let go lest he twist his wrists, and then thrusting herself forward. Both of them tumble to the ground, and Iroh is pinned, hands and knees.

"What _now_?" mocks Korra faintly. Iroh shrugs. He has to hand it to her. She's won _this _round.

"That was great, Korra."

Korra is about to grin cockily and say, 'I _know_,' when she feels a strange little feeling in her the base of her spine. "Eh?" She wriggles her bottom a bit, screwing up her face. "What—"

"Korra," groans Iroh, turning his head to stare at the rising sun to distract himself from baser instincts. "If you're going to do _that_, kindly unpin me."

Korra's eyes widen comically and she springs away from him with a blush. "Eee-ur-uh," she stammers as she manages to stand. "I think my root chakra's opened," she says. "It's located at the base of the spine, right?"

Iroh nods, jackknifing forward to sit up.

"Well it's, um, open."

"Is it?"

"Yeah."

"Well," Iroh purses his lips in a thin line as he stands across from her. "I'm glad that I could be _there _for you during this momentous occasion."

Korra's eyebrows rise up into her hairline. "Holy—did—did you—_Iroh, did you just crack a joke? _A _dirty _joke?"

Iroh sighs, throwing his hands up in a 'What can you do?' gesture. "I haven't had any sleep; and, I've been around _you_ for too long. It was inevitable." He sniffs a whiff of something really bad and realizes with a start that it's _him. _"Could you bend—"

In one swift movement, Korra bends the smelly sweat out of their clothes and away to Iroh-doesn't-want-to-know-where. "This doesn't mean you can skip out on a bath, General." She states flatly.

"Oh, I don't plan on it, soldier. Shortly the brunt of my forces will be invading the aquatic front, armed with soaps and scrubbing brushes."

"…" Korra squints at Iroh for a few seconds. "Get some sleep. You're… scaring me."

"Will do." says Iroh. "You also, Korra. Sleep the day away, if you must. I'm declaring another free day."

"Now you're _really _scaring me."

…

**What the deuce? Oh, man. This…this was supposed to be the first of a seven-part drabble thing for Korroh week but then I went and got in the zone and churned out this... _and_ I didn't even finish up until the second damn day… **

**Guess I ship Korroh harder that I thought. No surprise there, but there's _no_ way I can make six more of these in a week…Feedback is appreciated!**


	2. Swadhistana

_a/n: _Argh, updating is _hawrd_, man. I really hope this chapter is as good as/better than the last and um uh, yeah. So there's a lot of fluff in this one. Well, I'm not completely concretely sure what fluff _is _but I think I got some of it bubbling up over here. Yessirree. And oh my god you guys, a bit of foreshadowing, too, though at this point in time I'm probably the only one to notice it (Read: Challenge accepted?)

Read and review!

_p.s. _The pipa is an instrument similar to the guitar, and is also evidence that I spend a little too much time on the Avatar wiki.

_Lesson Learned_

**Swadhisthana**

Iroh watches warily as Korra rummages through the cabinets. "Oh, no," she trills. "We're all out of my tea. Looks like we're going to have to ride out to the Water Tribe market and get some more…" Iroh shakes his head.

"Korra, there are still at least a dozen types of tea left in that cabinet—"

"Seems like we're out of _Ginseng_, too," she turns to him quirking an eyebrow. "_And _Jasmine." She purses her lips. "Hm, those never seemed to disappear so quickly before—"

Iroh clears his throat. "Yes, I believe a trip to the market is in order, then."

Korra smirks as she shrugs her parka on and tosses him his. "Come on. We'll take Naga."

Since the end of Fire Lord Ozai's tyrannical reign, the southern Water Tribe has changed tremendously. In the stead of a barely populated borough is a great, bustling village. Korra and Iroh ride along the outskirts.

"Aw, man," tsks Korra, making a show of pulling out her pockets, "I don't have any money with me. Looks like we'll have to ride down to Mom and Dad's…"

"Hn." Iroh suspects—well, no, he _knows_—that this entire trip is a convoluted scheme to get out of the compound for an extended amount of time. It's the third—maybe, the fourth time this month, he guesses. _How long has she been planning _this_ particular outing? _He wonders.

It's not that he can blame her, though. It's evident how much the elders—bar Katara—try to keep her walled up in there; and, although the whole thing's truly a bust, because Korra sneaks out often, or just makes up an excuse to leave like she is doing _right now, _he sincerely doubts that _this_ is what Aang meant when he told the White Lotus members to keep watch over his successor.

Consequently, he's become a more-than-willing participant in her little escapades.

It usually tends to make for an entertaining confrontation with the officials at the end of the day...

"_No—well, we _had _to take Naga to get a haircut! Her fur was getting in her eyes..."_

He remembers this particular instance with a small smile.

"We're here," says Korra.

…

"Korra! It's so nice to see you again," Tonraq bellows. He lifts her into a platypus-bear hug. "Senna's in the kitchen."

"Hi, Daddy," Korra's voice is strained. "You're crushing me."

Tonraq smiles remorselessly. "I'm sorry, it's just that I haven't seen you in weeks! It can't be helped," he turns to Iroh. "General Iroh," he claps him on the back. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well, sir. How are you?"

"Well, and especially so now that my daughter and my _favorite firebender_ are here," he responds cheekily. Iroh grins.

Korra pouts. "I thought _I _was your favorite firebender."

"You're the _avatar_, dearie, it doesn't really count," says Senna, walking in from the kitchen. "Hello, General. Going to the market, then? Would you pick a few things up for us?" She gives Korra a small drawstring purse and a neatly written list.

"Thanks, Mom," Korra says as she turns to leave.

"Don't tell me you were only here to take our money!" cries Tonraq, feigning deepest disappointment.

"'Fraid so, Dad," she calls over her shoulder as she and Iroh exit.

…

"Mom sure wrote down a lot of things to get," says Korra, grinning. "We could be here a while."

"She knows what you're up to," Iroh replies.

"Up to—? I'm not up to anything," Korra refutes innocently.

Iroh sighs. "Of course you aren't, Korra."

They come across the little teashop in the center of the marketplace and purchase their blends. "A little ginger, too. It's great in hibiscus."

As they exit, a group of teenagers sitting in the deck of a café wave at them. "'Lo, Avatar!"

Korra hesitantly smiles and waves before she walks on.

"Your friends?" questions Iroh.

Korra shakes her head and bites her lip. "Eh, I don't really know them all that well. We all took Katara's healing lessons together, but that's it." _I'm not even sure they know my _actual _name, _she adds mentally. "Most of my friends are White Lotus sentries, actually."

Iroh looks at her strangely. Korra shrugs. "What can I say? I don't sneak out _that_ much."

…

They return to Tonraq and Senna, who insist that they stay for supper in exchange for having done their grocery shopping.

"We're having steamed salmon trout and seaweed noodles, your favorite," Senna singsongs in order to tempt Korra. Korra looks pleadingly at Iroh, who shrugs because _she's probably going to do what she wants anyway _and he's actually rather fond of salmon trout, himself.

The four sit in the cozy kitchen, making light conversation. Korra nudges Iroh in the forearm. "Aren't you going to compliment mom on her _delicious _cooking? I swear, this is _so much better_ that what they make at the compound," she says longingly.

Iroh has to agree with that. It's no wonder that on some days Korra practically lives on tea. "Yes, Senna, your cooking is phenomenal."

"_Phenomenal_! Korra, you're going to have to try hard to top that one," Senna teases. Korra rolls her eyes. "So, General, how old are you?"

He swallows a bit of fish before answering. "Twenty-two."

"You're _old_!" cries Korra. Iroh briefly gives her a dry, vaguely affronted look and goes back to his fish.

"Korra, that's only five years older than you are," Tonraq snorts. Senna smiles enigmatically, which makes Tonraq quirk an eyebrow at her. Senna grins wider in return and Tonraq barks a laugh.

"Oh, great. They're doing their non-verbal communication thing again. You two are ridiculous," Korra huffs. Then, Iroh raises a single eyebrow at her and she wonders whether these three people are covertly conspiring to deprive her of her sanity.

"So Korra, which chakra are you kids trying to activate now?" asks Senna.

Korra momentarily pauses to bristle at the word 'kids' before replying. "I think it's called 'Swad-his-dana,' Iroh?"

"_Swadhisthana,"_ he pronounces precisely.

"That's what I _said_," she rolls her eyes and continues. "The sacral chakra. It's associated with water."

"And sexual pleasure," Senna adds demurely as she sips from her beverage, and now everyone is uncomfortable because she's used the S-word at the dinner table.

"_Yes,_" Korra concedes haltingly, "But we've chosen to overlook that minor detail, especially considering that Aang was _twelve _at the time when he cleared his chakras."_ I don't ever want to eat here again. _She knows her cheeks are flaming. It's a small consolation that her father and Iroh are also red in the face while her mother innocuously picks at her food.

Senna hums, about to say something else before Tonraq effectively cuts her off. "The winter solstice festival is tonight, you know."

Korra latches on, so glad to be done with _that _subject and responds, "Oh, _that's _why the marketplace was so crowded today! I'd completely forgotten…"

Iroh sincerely doubts that—this is all part of her scheme, surely—but supposes that it _would _be easy to forget such a thing in the South Pole, and then wonders just how they determine the different seasons anyway.

As if she's read his mind, Korra turns to him. "It's going to get a lot colder after today," she warns. "And the days will be…much shorter," her voice trails off as she realizes what this might mean for him. He frowns.

"Don't worry, dearie," says Senna. "It won't affect your bending very much."

"The White Lotus sentries who are firebenders, you could speak with them about it," Tonraq helpfully supplies.

Iroh nods, albeit only partially placated. "So, this festival…"

"We're going," Korra says resolutely, and he immediately knows that she has been planning this day for _weeks._ "I swear, Iroh, it's _magnificent_. The bending, my spirits, the bending. And they change the water into different colors and there is music and singing and—"

"Well, don't spoil it for him, Korra!" her father admonishes laughingly. Korra ducks her head and Iroh smiles.

…

Korra has not exaggerated. The music is entrancing and the displays of bending are truly magnificent.

What truly amazes Iroh is that some of the White Lotus sentries who happen to be firebenders also participate, illuminating streams of liquid in a truly fantastic manner. There was even occasionally a blast of lightning. "It's modeled after the aurora australis. " Korra tells him dazedly. She sits next to him in under a small wooden gazebo, her arms tucked under her knees.

Suddenly there is a halt of activities as some of the benders exit and more people wearing extravagant costumes enter. People are talking loudly and Iroh leans in toward Korra to ask her what is going on but she's a step ahead of him. Her breath is hot in his ear. "They're about to reenact of Tui and La, and the ascent of Yue," she informs him. "They always get the most beautiful girl to play Yue," she adds, as an afterthought.

"Have you ever played her?" he questions.

She looks at him in shock and blushes. "No, but if that's a compliment, I'll take it."

"Make of it what you will," he replies cryptically, smiling wryly. She rolls her eyes and shoves his arm.

"Even when you compliment someone, you're a stuffy old general, Iroh," she chides.

"I'm not old; I'm only twenty-two," he weakly protests.

She chuckles. "Are you still dwelling on that?"

"No," he replies stonily.

She snorts and playfully nudges his shoulder with hers as the drums begin once more and the skit starts. She already knows the story backwards and forwards and is quite bored, so she turns slightly and slyly examines the details of his face as he raptly watches the performance.

_He's not _that_ old,_ she decides.

The play finally reaches its climax and Korra decides to finally pay attention to it, since they always switch it up every year. This year they've illuminated the girl playing Yue with a ring of fire and they use wires to lift her into the air as she dances gracefully. Waterbenders create arcs of tiny ice prisms that catch the light of the fire and explode everything with vibrant color.

"_Agni,_" Iroh breathes.

Now, actors invade the audience, goading its members to dance. The music is festive and loud.

Suddenly, Korra jumps up and forcefully pulls Iroh with her. "Let's dance, General!"

"But—"

"But nothing. _Dance, _Iroh. I'll lead," she declares, placing one hand on his shoulder and the other on his waist. She guides him into an easy but fast-paced step.

Iroh is a quick study and Korra's eyes are alight as they dance around the gazebo.

"Spirits quell my racing heart," she cries. "The General can _dance_!"

"See, I can be fun," Iroh says monotonously; but the look he gives her is absolutely mirthful and they both laugh.

"Hey," says Korra, "Let's go closer to where the music is playing."

They leave the gazebo and soon the music is so loud that it reverberates in Iroh's ears, but he finds that he doesn't mind very much.

The musicians are all young sentries and of course Korra is friends with them all. They shout at her in greeting. One of them tosses her an instrument which she catches effortlessly—a pipa.

Iroh stares at her wide-eyed and truly baffled as she begins to precisely finger the strings, constructing a beautiful melody. The rest of the musicians follow her lead and chords and the night fills with the avatar's music.

Korra begins dancing around him in circles as she plays the instrument, and Iroh is amazed that she can make funny faces at him—which, incidentally, is such a characteristically _Korra_ thing to do that he snorts—and strum the pipa at the same time.

After a few minutes, Korra has relinquished the pipa to its original owner and she and Iroh are dancing together again.

"Care to tell me how you came to be so well acquainted with the pipa?"

"The White Lotus is big on music. I think your great-great uncle had something to do with that…"—Here, Korra makes a farcical attempt to twirl him—"Playing music was one of the few things I considered fun that the elders actually approved of. I had to find _something _to do with my time when I wasn't training."

…

They have been perfectly content to dance an hour. Iroh's a bit weary of being on his feet for so long, but prefers not to take away from Korra's obvious bliss.

"Is there always a physical manifestation when you open a chakra?" she pipes up suddenly.

"Not necessarily. Chakras are pools of metaphysical energy; you could just feel…inexplicably different when one of them opens or closes," He replies, eyeing her. "Why?"

"I feel inexplicably different."

"Are you just saying that, Korra?"

"No! I swear."

"I suppose congratulations are in order, then," Iroh says with a tilted smile. He muses that they'll probably need to research this more in the future, but he trusts her instinct. Korra, ever full of surprises, hugs him tightly, and he reciprocates.

"I'm actually making _progress!_ Thank you," she says in his ear.

…

Senna saunters up behind her daughter. "Having fun, dearie?"

Korra whips around. "Ack—_Mom_—why do you have to sneak up like that?"

"Oh, but I didn't sneak." Senna protests. "_You_ were distracted." She grins at them knowingly. "Have you two been working on the sacral chakra tonight?"

Korra scrunches up her face. "Mom, _please go away_."

Senna beams. "Oh, I am. I just came over to tell you that Tonraq and I are leaving. So, don't stay out too late you two…"

As Senna turns to walk off, Korra faces Iroh. He shrugs, and guides them into another dance, slightly slower than before.

Korra grimaces as she places her hands on his shoulders. "I apologize for that. You know, the…insinuations."

"No need," he chuckles. "Your mother's ways say a great deal about you, actually."

Korra gives him a sharp look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Only that you both love teasing people, and especially love it when you make them uncomfortable. You are your mother's daughter."

Korra huffs. "Think what you want to think, Iroh." Her eyes widen. "Oh, man. It's _so _late. We—well, _I_'m going to get into _so _much trouble when we go back to the compound. It's so late…Maybe we should head back now…"

"Well," he starts. "We've been gone for nearly six hours already…what's the use of leaving now?"

"You make a good point," Korra grins, easily giving in. "Oh, man, they've started roasting meat! Let's go get some food…"

…

The next day, Korra lies tucked into Iroh's side on the futon against the wall in the sitting room. They are both exhausted from dancing and eating and drinking—but only little to moderate drinking, nothing compared to the sentries whom they ended up having to bring to the compound passed out on Naga's back.

Katara walks in. "You two look like you had fun at the festival," she observes.

"Mmhmm," Korra agrees, her voice muffled by Iroh's uniform.

"I've heard that the winter solstice festival is a very revered tradition; why didn't you attend, Master Katara?" asks Iroh.

Katara sits in a nearby chair. "You don't have to continuously use my title just because I'm old, Iroh. Call me Katara. Anyway," she begins, "I wasn't there because the elders had a meeting. An important meeting at which the avatar _should _have been present," she says reproachfully. Korra sits up slowly, biting her lip, panicked.

"Honest—I didn't know there was a meeting. I'm sorry. Are they angry?"

"Things are fine. I told them you were ill…and the all the sentries who saw you barely remember the night," Katara adds wryly.

"Thank you, Katara," Korra says genuinely, slinking back onto Iroh's shoulder. Smiling, he shifts a bit in his seat to help her get comfortable, and Katara watches this interaction in secretive glee, ideas forming rapidly in her head. _This is going to be fun, especially since I've already gone and taken care of _that _thing…_

"Oh, it's no trouble, dear. I hate that they try so hard to keep you confined. Especially, considering that Aang was a such a traveller—it can't be good for you."

Korra shrugs. "I sneak out from time to time."

"Yes, sweetie, I _know _that," Katara chuckles. "Now I will come to the real reason I am here. Iroh, dear, your mother is getting re-married in a few weeks. To Bumi."

"_Really_? That—that actually doesn't come as much of a surprise at all, now that I think about it. They've been skirting around each other for as long as I can remember." He frowns. "So I suppose I'll need to leave soon, in order to attend the wedding?"

"…Yes. As will I. Bumi is going to sail down here to take us," says Katara.

Korra glowers. "_No_—You guys can't both leave me here!" she whines. "And we were just starting to gain headway with my chakras…"

"Of course, Korra. That's why you're coming with us, sweetie. Naturally." Katara grins. This_, _she feels, is the _real _surprise.

Korra jumps to her feet in shock. "Really?" she lifts the elderly woman in a hug. "How'd you convince the council to let me do _that?_"

"It took no small amount of persuasion," Katara says matter-of-factly. "And you're expected to unlock another chakra while you're gone and—"

Korra tightens her grip, squealing in joy.

Over the avatar's shoulder, Katara gives Iroh a questioning look. Iroh smiles tiredly. "Korra opened her sacral chakra last night," he explains. "So…"

"Ah, well, I guess I can forget to mention that to them…"

"I love you, Katara. You. Are the greatest waterbending sifu _ever._"

After Katara leaves, Korra bumbles around the room in excitement for a few minutes—"I'm _finally_ going to leave this island!"—before collapsing back on the futon, almost instantly falling fast asleep on Iroh's shoulder from sheer exhaustion.

He laughs with a yawn before deciding to follow the avatar's lead.

Later on, Katara walks back in to check on them and cannot resist a face-splitting grin.

_I can't _wait _to tell Zuko. _

…

Korra and Iroh sit cross-legged across from each other in a small room, lit by a single candle sitting on a table. It flickers with Iroh's breathing.

Another candlestick sits beside it, but it has yet to take flame.

"Gah, I can't concentrate," Korra groans as her eyes fly open. "Can we take a break?"

"It's not always easy the first time," Iroh blinks open one eye.

"But it's like, the _billionth _time! I've been trying to light that damn candle for _hours…_" she complains, exasperated. "Some firebender I am," she huffs.

"I'd say you're making progress, actually. It didn't explode this time."

The candle explodes. _Spectacularly. _

"You were saying, General?"

"Why don't we take a break?"

"Brilliant idea, Iroh. It's almost as though I'd thought it up myself…"

"It's said that great minds think alike."

…

"Tell me about your family," requests Korra. Iroh arches an umber eyebrow. "What are your siblings like? Wait, how many siblings do you _have?_ What is your mom like? Do I call her the Fire Lord or the Fire Lady? _What happened to Fire Lord Zuko's mom?_"

"Er—um—Korra. One question at a time, if you please."

"How many siblings do you have?"

"I have two older brothers. Lu Ten and Kuzon." He taps his chin. "I suppose I now have a stepsister as well, now. Bumi's daughter, Zahra."

"Zahra, huh? That's a cool name."

Iroh smiles. Korra and Zahra will probably hit it off splendidly once they meet each other. He muses that he might need to worry about what sort of shenanigans they'll get into together at the Fire Palace.

He'll need to keep an eye on them.

"What about your brothers? How old are they?"

"Kuzon is the oldest; he's the crown prince. He's thirty-six. Lu Ten is thirty-four."

"I'm imagining even older and stuffier versions of you. Is that accurate? Is that even _possible_?"

Iroh's mouth twitches, but he says nothing.

Korra sighs, continuing. "Is there just…something about the Fire Nation that makes people that way? The weather, perhaps?"

"Korra, I really think you need to broaden your mindset and let go of these preconceived notions. Especially concerning me. You _know _me." Iroh answers despite himself; _he _knows _her _as well and thus is aware that she is simply baiting him.

"But, Iroh! You've yet to prove to me that you're not an old, uptight, all-around _stiff _kind of guy."

"I'm _not _old; I've just told you I'm the _youngest _of my brothers and then there was the dance—"

"The dance was a fluke! I _made _you dance."

…

Over the next few weeks, Iroh continues with her training—or whatever one would call this…guidance, perhaps?—doggedly. He's decided to integrate the labors of unlocking the next chakra, the navel chakra, _Manipura, _with heat control, which makes sense since the navel chakra's element _is _fire.

Heat control, counter intuitively, is an advanced firebending skill. It is true that a beginner firebender can inadvertently cause a cup of tea to suddenly boil; but, it could take years before he or she masters the control and focus to bring it to that optimal temperature.

"_Iroh, I think we've broken all of the teacups."_

Of course, even though Korra is something of a tea-lover—this never ceases to startle him, really, she could give his namesake a run for his money—warming it to perfection isn't exactly her motivation for wanting to learn heat control.

Her father comes to mind.

Korra is an excellent firebender, one of the best he's ever encountered, he decides—and since his grandfather is the retired Fire Lord Zuko, and his great-great uncle had been the Dragon of the West, that's a hell of a thing to decide.

She actually reminds him of his great aunt Azula—_before_ she lost her sanity, naturally—in terms of her power. He dares not wonder how a match between _those _two women might have gone.

However, like he'd told her earlier, she is not used to precise focus, having to really _try,_ as someone with her years of training and practice but less prodigious would have been.

Or maybe it's something else completely.

It becomes a bit harder to rationalize the root cause of her learning block, once he really ponders it, but, by Agni, the avatar _would_ learn this specialty.

"Hi, Iroh. We can't do the teacup thing or the candle thing today, because, well, we've…well, _I _have destroyed them all," Korra smiles sheepishly. "Katara's gone to the market to fetch more. What do you want to do?"

"I wasn't aware of that," Iroh's face falls for a moment. _I didn't know we'd done _that _much damage._ "But I thought we'd make today a theory day anyway." He gestures with the heavy-looking parcel he's holding. "I had more of my books shipped over. Try not to throw these in the snow."

"Oh, _ha ha, _aren't you just General Funny-man today?"

They sit at their table in the sitting room. Korra bemoans the absence of teacups and attempts to bend two out from the stone hearth of the fireplace, but that goes terribly—it almost causes the chimney to cave in.

"So no tea today, then."

"Evidently, no."

Iroh neatly unravels the brown paper around his books and sets it to the side. Korra fights the urge to laugh at his steadfast meticulousness.

"Do you have another one of those books about chakras? I was in the middle of reading about the air chakra."

Iroh raises an eyebrow. "You read that far?"

Korra smirks. "I did! I read a lot, don't you know? Reading being an White Lotus-approved activity and all," she finishes, her voice sounding slightly dejected.

Iroh gives her a small, sympathetic smile. "There are several books solely about chakras here, I think. I suspect there might even be an identical copy of the other one here."

Korra rifles about the stacks of books for a moment before finding something satisfactory. She pulls the tome out carefully, so as not to cause a book-avalanche that would no doubt annoy Iroh who has already selected a book and is diligently perusing and writing notes—_on second thought, a book-avalanche would've been fun_, she thinks—and flips to where she supposes the chapter on the air chakra might begin.

…

Over the course of the following weeks, Korra notices that Iroh is not quite as alert as he usually is. She attributes this to the shortening days, the less frequent appearance of the sun. She has noticed that her own fire is weaker than usual, as she's always noticed this time of year, but she has never actually considered what it must be like for someone who _only_ bends fire.

Consequently, she supposes that it's good luck that they'll be leaving for the Fire Nation soon. She's going to miss her family, of course, but she's excited and hopeful, especially for the opportunity to learn more about Iroh, his home life, his career as a general, and other—possibly embarrassing—tidbits.

_He knows nearly everything about _me _now; it's only fair, _she reflects.

For nearly four months Iroh has been a fixation at the White Lotus compound and he has become her tea buddy, her sparring partner, and her first real friend who isn't a relative or a White Lotus sentry or a polar-bear dog or Katara.

He's disrupted the formulaic monotony of her life—wake up, train, meditate, train, attempt to sneak out, sleep, rinse and repeat, et cetera—and she secretly, fervently hopes that after they've finished with all this spiritual business that they will keep in touch and be good, maybe even the best of, friends even if she will be a busy avatar and he will be a busy general.

Stealthily, she peers at him over the top of a diagrammed scroll she's examining. He is looking down at some paperwork that has to do with getting her a passport—of course, the _avatar _needs a _passport_—and is scribbling some notes down on a pad. Without looking up looking up he quirks an eyebrow.

"Something the matter, Korra?"

She fights back a surprised yelp—how does he _do _that?—and says, "No, nothing."

He looks up from his papers. "My grandfather is quite gifted at the tsungi horn. He will be delighted to learn that you play the pipa. The two of you might start a band, perhaps, and perform for the royal court."

She is nonplussed by the non sequitur, as evidenced by the confused expression adorning her face.

He smiles because he finds her confused expressions quite endearing, and he might have said what he said for no particular reason other than this.

…

_"Dad!_ It's so great to see you!"

He very nearly cracks one of Korra's ribs with his embrace. "I—uh—you're—"

"Bumi, you're hurting her," Katara and Iroh say simultaneously.

Bumi's mouth turns into a small 'o' as he quickly, carefully replaces Korra onto her feet. "I'm sorry, Avatar Korra," he says with a winning grin Korra has seen on her father's face many times that indicates he is, in fact, not sorry in the least.

They all board Bumi's ship, with several sentries behind them working as grunt-men, carrying their luggage. Naga brings up the rear and is quickly guided to the ship's deck. Bumi and his mother Katara are catching up while Iroh and Korra walk side by side silently, as Korra takes in the all of the details of the ship with a fascinated expression.

"I could give you a tour, Korra. You know, so you won't burn your eyes out staring at everything," Iroh says wryly.

Korra rolls her eyes at his dig but smiles. "I could go for that."

…

"So, that's everything," says Iroh, finishing the "Grand Tour" with a sigh as they step out onto the deck. Korra shields her eyes from the sun. It seems that they had been in the dim light of the ship's interior for hours.

Bumi and a few other people who are wearing United Forces uniforms are out on the deck, some of them being harassed by Naga. Korra walks over to the railing of the ship and looks out into the ocean for a second before she blanches and doubles back over to Iroh, who looks at her worriedly.

"I think I'm going to be seasick."


End file.
